Adversity
by Jyncx
Summary: "Adversity" or "bad luck". Newt Scamander was known for getting himself into trouble. But what if he lost a creature in the process? Trying to save a Niffler, Newt fails and the poor creature dies. Hurt/comfort and some Newt!whump.


Newt Scamander was well known for rescuing any creature alike. Most of the time, whenever he got wind of muggles trafficking rare breeds or discovering new animals, he was there to obliviate them of their existence and took the creatures to set them free. Though such instances were less frequent than when fellow wizards stumbled upon a Niffler or a Bowtruckle. Creatures easily persuaded into committing crimes for lack of better understanding other than selfish interests in perhaps gold or the perfectly acceptable appeal in the complicity of a lock, they came in handy and were quite pricey too. Wizards active in the underworld earned a fortune by selling creatures. Though they were weary. Weary of the infamous name of Newt Scamander. His name hung in the air whenever he appeared to what he initially assumed would be a surprise appearance. Highly conspicuous figures would be whistling about innocently while he made his way through alleyways with his trademark case and Hufflepuff scarf. Perhaps a fatal mistake of his. To go out dressed the same carrying the same objects time and again.

He felt the soft pinches of Pickett clawing at his cheek as he walked down the same road for the fifth time that night. He looked down at his shoulder and held out his hand for the small stick-like creature to climb upon.

"I know you're tired." He told the increasingly annoying source of pinching and squeaking. They'd set out to find another _'Niffler dealer'_ in the area . He'd heard of a wizard breeding and selling them for a large sum of money. Though Nifflers were very uncommon in that certain part of London, Newt was positive the rumors were true. Newt had taken the bait before though this time, his source was his own brother, meaning there was no trap to lure him so they could _crucio_ the creatures out of his case or even avada kedavra their way through the enlarged dimensions concealed by mere leather. Notwithstanding against the force of powerful magic, leather would wear away in a matter of minutes.

"We'll go home soon." Pickett gave an exasperated sigh, making sure Newt got the hint. He did, in fact, he longed for the warmth of his bed as much as his little friend did but he couldn't go now. He knew he was close by, he could feel it. An ominous crack behind him confirmed his suspicions. Nifflers were good at hiding, but too clumsy to stay hidden. If one had escaped, it meant it could lead him to where the others were kept. Bearing in mind the likely possibility of it being unable to comprehend the English language, Newt had a few tricks up his sleeve to let it know he was a friendly ally, harmless in any way.

Slowly, he inched his way towards the increasingly loud cracking sound, all too aware of the presence of another wizard. He'd promised Tina to stay out of trouble, to stay safe. Yet here he was with a gloomy sense of foreboding hanging thick in the air. It was Tina's first time in London together with him, they'd decided a brief vacation away from New York would be a welcome given for her. She'd been stressing over MACUSA cases since the moment he left New York after the Obscurus incident. Credence was alive, Newt knew that, but it didn't matter because as long as he was the only one who knew, there would be no trouble. At least for the time being.

A loud crash followed by a curse tore through Newt's thoughts, settling his eyes on an abandoned building on his right. He ran up to the door, not bothering to keep quiet, he rushed inside. A soft gloom lit his way towards what he assumed was once a living room. The settee was torn and molting while the rest of the room lay in ruins. There were candles spread over the floor, a ludicrous decision with Nifflers close by. They were prone on escaping. Very clever creatures, Newt huffed proudly. Speaking of which, one of the little devils seemed to be running amok. There was no other wizard though. He vaguely wondered where the previous curse had come from, but decided to just get the little guy out of there before he was caught.

"Stupid rat, where are you now?" A voice sounded from another room. Ah, there it was, Newt thought. No use in trying to hide, he just had to be quick and swift about it. He pointed his wand at the Niffler, following its path as it wrecked through the room. Candles were being thrown to the ground or extinguished by the gush of wind the Niffler's frantic running was causing. "No not in there." The voice from before said. He was getting closer. Newt closed one eye and wandered away from the Niffler to a place where he predicted the creature to be next.

"Impedimenta!" He shouted with a flick of his wand. The Niffler, caught in the right time, slowed down tremendously. Newt preferred not to use any spells on the creatures, but this was a dire situation. Before he could pick the Niffler up, he heard another spell incantation.

"Stupefy!" He felt his body going rigid before the ground decided a hug would be nice. His vision faded slowly, his ears picking up Pickett's concerned squeaking. Sleep. Yes, sleep seemed like a plan.

Warmth was the next thing he registered as he blearily opened his eyes. His eyes swept across the ceiling, unfocused for a moment before recognition along with the fleeting memories of a Niffler and another wizard pushed their way to the foreground of his thoughts. Red flags were flaring when a whole new sound made him all too aware of his current predicament. He couldn't move anything neck down. Paralyzed or was this a spell? His eyes widened when he finally smelled it. The heavy smell of fire was spreading and taking over any of his other senses. He didn't even notice Pickett's frantic sounds. With difficulty, he turned his head to the left where he saw the Niffler from earlier. It was laying on the ground, bleeding from a gash on its side. Newt felt tears pricking in his eyes, the creature was still breathing, but he couldn't reach it. He couldn't move. He tried reaching for his wand, thinking of every de-paralyzing spells, but it was useless. His arm just wouldn't move.

"GUH." The effort was making him sweat, or was it the fire? This was it, he was going to burn alive, taking along a Niffler he failed to save. "Please, I can't…not now…" Tears were now streaming down his cheeks as he looked at the Niffler. "Hold on, buddy, I'll get you out of here." He said, straining against the paralyzing spell. His fingers started moving, though with difficulty. A soft whining sound brought his attention away from his hand and back towards the Niffler. It was staring back at him with a hazy gaze.

"Hey there, you wouldn't be able to give me my wand?" Newt asked, trying to sound as calm as he could. He was panicking but his body wouldn't show it. It only registered in his voice, shaking with adrenaline and panic he was forced to suppress. He was breathing heavily, smoke was starting the replace the thinning oxygen but he didn't care. "Didn't think so." He concluded with a shaky breath. He gave up trying to move and just looked at the Niffler whose life was edging away before his eyes. "You can't die, not…not after all of this." Newt shook his head, feeling his stiff muscles move.

"Newt!" He heard in the distance. The fire was cracking wildly, roaring above the outside sounds. Except for the melodic voice of Tina Goldstein. "Newt! Are you in there?" He heard Tina ask. He took a breath to reply but coughed instead, the smoke was making it hard to breathe in properly. "Aguamenti!" She called from somewhere closer by. She was inside the building.

"T…Tina." He tried calling, but his voice cracked with the effort of raising it above the sounds of the fire. He saw Pickett running up to him, pointing at him in a distraught manner. When had he even had the chance to get help? His little stick legs couldn't possibly run that fast, unless Tina had already been near the building.

"Newt!" Tina called again when she'd finally fought off the flames with the aguamenti spell. He saw her rushing towards him, concern and anger flickered across her face before realization dawned on her when she saw the Niffler. "Do you think you can walk?" She asked when she saw him staring at her with teary eyes.

"N…no, my…my body.." He coughed harshly and tried again. "My body, I can't…" He coughed again, clearing his throat. Tina shushed him, understanding what he was trying to say.

"I'm going to apparate us outside, alright?" She said, picking up Pickett.

"No!" He shouted, turning back to the Niffler who was blinking sluggishly. It was still alive. He couldn't leave it. "The Niffler, Tina, please." He begged, tears were welling up again.

"It's dying, Newt. You can't save him." She told him, tearing up as well. She put her hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes in concentration, unable to look at his anguish any longer.

They rematerialized outside on the cold cobblestones. Newt saw her checking him over, avoiding his eyes as she sighed in relief. That meant no physical injuries. He breathed in and coughed as the clean air attacked his lungs.

"The…" He coughed again, trying multiple times to get the words out. "Niffler." He gasped.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Tina apologized sadly, finally meeting his eyes. There was genuine grief in them. Sirens were blearing in the distance, approaching quickly. They both seemed to snap back, Newt noted. Tina looked behind them and with a defeated sigh, she apparated them further away.


End file.
